A nonprofit invites people to get their hands dirty at an educational day of gardening at Castaways Park in Newport Beach on Sunday in support of hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinator species critical to the environment.
Wildlife Jewels will host its Plant for Hummingbirds & Butterflies Celebration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees will spend the afternoon planting varieties of plants like white milkweed, Bowman’s fuchsia and bright orange mimulus aurantiacus, the organization’s founder and executive director Azi Sharif told the Daily Pilot Thursday.
A painting of a hummingbird is displayed during Wildlife Jewels’ Plant for Hummingbirds and Butterflies Celebration at Castaways Park in March.
(Courtesy of Wildlife Jewels)
The plants produce nectar that feed species like hummingbirds and butterflies. The birds and insects play an essential role in maintaining the environment, and their populations have seen dramatic declines over the past 25 years, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“Their health is an indicator of the ecosystem,” Sharif said. “They are very sensitive to pesticides and pollution and also habitat loss.”
Wildlife Jewels became a nonprofit in 2023, and Sunday will be the second time it has held a planting event at Castaways Park. The day’s activities will be set against the scenic backdrop of Newport Harbor and accompanied by displays of artwork inspired by hummingbirds and butterflies and informative presentations about them. Members of the organization will share stories of injured birds they have rescued and give tips on how to care for them, Sharif said.
More information can be found at Wildlife Jewels’ website.
Participants of Wildlife Jewels pose for a photo at Castaways Park.
(Courtesy of Wildlife Jewels)